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Seniors Rights Victoria and Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria’s Beyond Age launch and exhibition seeks to change the conversation about ageing, all in support of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) 2025.
The 10 June event will be held at the Melbourne Town Hall, and will feature a series of Beyond Age storyboards created by older Victorians from all around the state. The Victorian Minister for Ageing, The Honourable Ingrid Stitt, will be on hand to officially launch the Beyond Age program and exhibition, alongside a larger online exhibition of storyboards found on the WEEAD website.
Hosted by MC Monica Dullard, the launch will also feature presentations from Seniors Rights Victoria CEO Ben Rogers, and the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Age Discrimination Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald. It concludes with an all-important conversation with Beyond Age participants focussed on combatting ageism.
Doors open for the event at 9.30 am on 10 June, with the program running between 10.00 am to 12.00 pm. A small number of free tickets to the showcase are available to the public, available on the Humanitix ticketing platform.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day follows on 15 June 2025. Those who wish to take part in the initiative can find additional resources on the WEAAD website, and can submit their own event to our calendar.
The focal point of Seniors Rights Victoria and COTA Victoria’s WEAAD program, the Beyond Age project asks older people to couple a photo from their past with one from their present, then providing advice about getting older to their younger self. Older people are encouraged to take part in the project from the comfort of their own homes through an online submission form found on the WEAAD website.
If you are in Victoria and experiencing elder abuse, help is available through Seniors Rights Victoria’s confidential helpline on 1300 368 821. Our website – seniorsrights.org.au – also features resources for concerned friends or family members.
For nationwide assistance, please call 1800 ELDERHelp (1800 353 374). You can also access additional resources in 20 different languages using the Australian Human Rights Commission website.
If it is an emergency, call 000.
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Further context
All points below are attributable to Ben Rogers, CEO of Seniors Rights Victoria and COTA Victoria.
- Elder abuse comes in many forms. It can be financial, emotional, psychological, physical, sexual, or social. Elder abuse can occur once or many times, and can vary in severity from subtle through to extreme. It can include one or a combination of the different types of abuse.
- Most often, elder abuse is carried out by someone known to the older person, with two thirds of abusers being an adult child. Abusers can also be other family members, relatives, or friends.
- Elder abuse affects people of all genders and all walks of life. The abuse, however, disproportionately affects women – two-thirds of people seeking help from SRV are women.
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and LGBTQI+ communities are additionally vulnerable, as are older people living in rural and regional communities.
- The most recent study of elder abuse prevalence in Australia found that 14.8% of those 65 years and over had experienced at least one recognised form of elder abuse over the previous 12 months. This suggests that 160,000 older Victorians are experiencing elder abuse each year to a level they are willing to identify to researchers.
- Ageism is one of the main drivers of elder abuse. Ageism also impacts how society perceives the worth of an older person; this can lead to abuse and mistreatment of them in families.
- Ageism can be a self-fulfilling prophecy leading to internalised and reinforced perceptions of self-worth, impacting their self-esteem, and minimising what they are capable or worthy of. Internalised ageism can limit older people from participating in society and increase social isolation.
- By 2046, the number of Victorians aged 60+ is expected to increase by around 60 per cent to more than 2.3 million people, accounting for approximately 25 per cent of the population will be 60 years of age or older.
For further information
Steve Wright
Marketing and Communications Manager
Seniors Rights Victoria & COTA Victoria
Telephone: +61 3 9655 2159
Email: communications@cotavic.org.au
About us
Seniors Rights Victoria (SRV) is the key state-wide service dedicated to advancing the rights of older people and the early intervention into, or prevention of, elder abuse in our community. It is the only Community Legal Centre dedicated to preventing and responding to elder abuse within Victoria.
SRV has a team of experienced advocates, lawyers, and social workers who provide free information, advice, referral, legal advice, legal casework, and support to older people who are either at risk of or are experiencing elder abuse. SRV supports and empowers older people through the provision of legal advice directly to the older person.
https://seniorsrights.org.au | https://weaad.org.au
Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria is the leading not-for-profit organisation representing the interests and rights of people aged over 50 in Victoria. For over 70 years, we have led government, corporate and community thinking about the positive aspects of ageing in the state.
Today, our focus is on promoting opportunities for and protecting the legal rights of people 50+. We value ageing and embrace its opportunities for personal growth, contribution, and self-expression. This belief drives benefits to the nation and its states alongside communities, families, and individuals.